Album Review :: The Hunters :: Art Electric

Written by: Andrea Janov, CC2K Music Editor

The Hunters :: Art Electric :: Black Numbers

When The Hunters Art Electric came across my desk (or email?  Or stereo? I am not really sure what the proper phrase is these digital days. Whatever, when I heard it for the first time) I was totally drawn in. While it has been quite a while since I really listened to alternative or indie rock as my primary genre, this album totally made me miss it.

Art Electric is an alternative/indie/garage rock hybrid that is full of passion, angst, blood, and guts – you know, all the stuff that make the best albums.

Though I totally stand by the garage rock descriptor, it is more in attitude and shown in the screaming elements as opposed to the quality of the recording. The tracks are smooth, polished, and even a bit stark yet the passion and rawness bleeds through in the vocals and screams.

Each of the songs on Art Electric are quite different yet share the same elements. They are all a bit pretty a bit catchy, a bit gritty, and a bit raw. Each track though, defines its own personality buy combining elements and letting others take the forefront.

Hold On, has a cool slightly menacing/slightly ethereal English new wave vibe that will also have you tapping your foot to the beat. Roadworn Heart, has a cool stripped down section and Lighthouse is heavy and chaotic. Heroes starts out simple with almost a whisper and builds and builds until it is raw and strained. Promises is raw and kinda messy with some great screams. It Had To Be You was the song that got me hooked. It is one of the most honest, yet least sappy, love songs I have ever heard. It begins subdued yet builds into a passionate chaos as if there is not enough air left for him to say everything he needs to.

Like I said, it has been several yeast since I really listened to alternative music. But if this is the state of the genre or where it is headed, I will most definitely become a fan again.